Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a British diplomat in Tehran following the arrest of several Iranian nationals in the United Kingdom on espionage charges, state media reported on Monday.
"Following the unjustified arrest of a number of Iranian nationals in the UK... the British charge d'affaires in Tehran was summoned on Sunday," Iran's IRNA news agency said.
Right after the arrest in early May, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi firmly denied any Iranian involvement in the alleged plot targeting the Israeli embassy in London, describing media reports as suspicious. He urged the British government to cooperate in a transparent investigation and warned of the possibility of third-party false-flag operations aimed at damaging Iran–UK relations.
Earlier this month, British police arrested seven Iranian nationals in two separate operations, which the interior minister described as among the most significant investigations of their kind in recent years.
The three men have been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between August 14, 2024, and February 16, 2025, police said, adding that the foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran.
The charges come at a time of intense scrutiny of suspected Iran-backed activities in Britain.
Interior minister Yvette Cooper said Britain would take "separate action" to address the serious issues raised by the case of the three men.
"Iran must be held to account for its actions," she said in a statement. "We must also strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil."
Police said in a separate statement later on Saturday that four other men arrested as part of the counter-terrorism operation had been released from custody but the investigation was still open.
"We made these arrests due to concerns about a suspected plot to target a specific premises," the statement said, adding that they continued to provide the premises with support.
"Our investigation remains active and is ongoing."
The eighth man was released without charge on Thursday.
Britain's domestic spy chief Ken McCallum said last year that officers had responded since 2022 to 20 Tehran-backed plots that potentially posed lethal threats to UK citizens and residents.
The three men charged - Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55 - were remanded in custody and will appear at a preliminary hearing at the central criminal court on June 6.
The court on Saturday heard allegations that the three men had targeted Britain-based journalists connected with Iran International, a broadcaster which is critical of the Iranian government.
Sepahvand was also charged with surveillance and intending to commit serious violence against a person in Britain, while Manesh and Noori were charged with surveillance and the intention that serious violent acts would be committed by others.
The men arrived by irregular means, the government said, including via small boats across the Channel between 2016 and 2022.
The British government has placed Iran on the highest tier of its foreign influence register, requiring Tehran to register everything it does to exert political influence in the UK.
Russia published addresses of manufacturers allegedly producing drones or components for Ukraine on Wednesday (15 Apr...
U.S. President Donald Trump says Israeli and Lebanese leaders have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire that includes Hezbollah, raising cautious hopes of ...
The U.S. House of Representatives has narrowly voted to block an effort to rein in Donald Trump’s authority to conduct military operations ag...
Georgia’s parliament has approved fast-tracked amendments to the Law on Grants, introducing new exemptions and ...
RRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Beijing is placing China’s diplomacy under closer scrutiny, as it balances its partn...
RRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Beijing is placing China’s diplomacy under closer scrutiny, as it balances its partnership with Moscow against strained relations with the U.S.
The United States has expanded its naval blockade on Iran, allowing forces to stop, search and seize vessels suspected of carrying “contraband”, as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned U.S. forces are ready to resume combat if no deal is reached.
Iran has raised the idea of charging ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, drawing sharp attention due to the waterway’s vital role in global energy supply and the legal questions involved.
The U.S. has warned it could impose sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil and expects China to halt purchases as Washington intensifies enforcement of a maritime blockade on Iran.
Dubai’s most iconic hotel, the Burj Al Arab, is set to close for the first time since opening in 1999 as it begins an extensive 18-month refurbishment aimed at preserving its status as a global symbol of luxury.
The U.S. and Iran could resume peace talks over the next couple of days, U.S. President Donald Trump has said. Talks between Israel and Lebanon were held in Washington yesterday. Fuel prices have dropped below $100 a barrel. U.S. blockade on Iranian ports completes first day.
Azerbaijan and Russia have announced a formal settlement over the 2024 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Embraer 190 near Aktau, confirming that all outstanding issues, including compensation, have been resolved.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that there was a "good chance" of a peace deal between Lebanon and Israel happening soon, after he announced a 10-day ceasefire between the two countries.
Türkiye is reeling after a second school shooting in as many days, after a 14-year-old student killed nine people - eight pupils and one teacher - and wounded 13 others at a middle school in the south-eastern province of Kahramanmaraş on Wednesday, officials said.
Georgia’s parliament has approved fast-tracked amendments to the Law on Grants, introducing new exemptions and expanding the state’s role in defining and overseeing foreign funding.
Nine people, including eight children, were killed in a shooting at a middle school in Türkiye’s southeastern Kahramanmaraş province on Wednesday. Thirteen others were injured, sparking public outrage and raising concerns about a rare phenomenon in the country.
South Korea will import 18 million barrels of Kazakh oil via routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, as it seeks to shield its energy supply from mounting instability in the Middle East.
Kazakhstan has ratified an allied relations treaty with Tajikistan and a strategic partnership agreement with the United Kingdom, aiming to deepen regional cooperation and expand ties with a major foreign investor.
The United Nations says it reached millions of Afghans with healthcare, education and livelihoods support in 2025, despite declining global humanitarian aid and mounting pressures from displacement, climate shocks and operational constraints.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment